Optical lenses made of polycarbonates, high index and CR39 materials are known in the art. In order to finish and make these lenses ready for fitting into a lens frame, it is necessary to bevel edge the outer periphery of the lens, to give it the proper cross-section to fit in an eye glass lens frame. Typically, this is done by a bevel edging machine, which includes a rough cut wheel for cutting out the shape and a bevel edging wheel for providing the final contour. Depending on the lens material, the grinding operation creates abrasive swarf material which requires removal in order for proper use of any type of abrasive device. Typically, the wheels have build up of swarf during the operation, which imparts itself onto the lens. This creates the need to manually remove the swarf from the lens. Any swarf which is not readily removed during the grinding of the bevel edging operation, interferes with the operation and, at the very least, slows it down and may add to several hand finishing steps necessary at the end, or an improper bevel configuration.
In the optical industry today, the one hour optical labs and the like have made it necessary for increased any improved efficiencies are desirable in the process. Therefore, it is desired to eliminate swarf removal on the polycarbonate lens by hand, which is labor intensive and time consuming.
Therefore, it is a goal in the art to provide a bevel edging wheel which eliminates the need for manual swarf removal.